Today, McKay delves into the concept of becoming a person of grace and a leader who leads with grace. He shares an inspiring example of grace from the most recent Little League World Series playoffs. Like the little leaguers, when we extend grace to others, we become more inspiring. And that’s needed in our world today.

While grace is incredibly motivational and encouraging, not many people actually engage in demonstrating or offering it, but we can all start.  McKay spends much of the episode characterizing someone leading with grace as someone who cares more about making things right than being right themselves, someone who is grateful, generous, and someone who is content to listen first before they speak.  Leading with grace isn’t always easy though.  It requires a certain discipline and willingness to sacrifice.  Nothing is more inspiring and motivating though than a graceful leader.  So encourage others with your grace, and soon you will see that you too can make a positive impact.  

The Finer Details of This Episode: 

• Great moments in Little League History
• President Bush’s moment of grace
• Making things right 
• Gratitude and unassuming generosity
• Being content to listen
• The value of encouragement

Quotes: 

“These two girls were playing pitch and catch as they linked generations of girls together who love the game of baseball.”

“There, on that day at the regional finals, two 12-year-old boys, with the game on the line, put aside their own aspirations and demonstrated the type of grace and sportsmanship that is lacking in so many professional sports played by grown men today.”

“Grace reminds us that leadership starts with the leader but it’s never about the leader.”

“Grace is so easy to give and so powerful when it is received.  Hillary Clinton says the letter made her cry when she first read it and she cried again when she heard Bush had passed away years later.”

“And it isn’t that people of grace give lots of money or even lots of time.  They simply give of themselves, of their own attention.”

“There is something about people of grace that is content to wait for their time and let others have theirs.  There is a certain discipline to grace. We sacrifice, we temper the need to give to ourselves.”

Links:

McKay Christensen Homepage